


Unexpected Consequences

by fangirlingtodeath513



Series: Season 13 Codas [12]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Archangel Gabriel (Supernatural), Episode: s13e13 Coda, Episode: s13e13 Devil's Bargain, Gabriel's been in captivity since Hammer of the Gods, Post-Episode: s13e13 Coda, gabriel is alive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-25
Updated: 2018-02-25
Packaged: 2019-03-16 05:31:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,305
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13629657
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirlingtodeath513/pseuds/fangirlingtodeath513
Summary: Lucifer is yanked away from him before Castiel has an opportunity to take advantage of his weakened state. Two of Asmodeus’s demons are holding Lucifer up by his arms and Asmodeus is circling the archangel slowly.“Well now, we can’t have you killing Lucifer, can we Castiel? We need him if we intend to control Jack.” Castiel can barely suppress his eye roll, but thinks it better to keep key information about Jack out of the hands of Asmodeus and his demons. His grip on his blade tightens, but before he can make another move on Lucifer, he and the two demons flanking him disappear, leaving Cas alone with Asmodeus.A 13x13 Coda





	Unexpected Consequences

**Author's Note:**

> This is a really long coda, much longer than I normally write, but there was a lot of little things that I wanted to fix with this episode, so I hope you enjoy!

Lucifer is yanked away from him before Castiel has an opportunity to take advantage of his weakened state. Two of Asmodeus’s demons are holding Lucifer up by his arms and Asmodeus is circling the archangel slowly.

 

“Well now, we can’t have you killing Lucifer, can we Castiel? We need him if we intend to control Jack.” Castiel can barely suppress his eye roll, but thinks it better to keep key information about Jack out of the hands of Asmodeus and his demons. His grip on his blade tightens, but before he can make another move on Lucifer, he and the two demons flanking him disappear, leaving Cas alone with Asmodeus. 

 

“What do you want?” The demon simply smirks at him.

 

“I’ve already got what I want. You’re of no use to me anymore, it’s evident that the Winchesters are too stupid to realize I’m a threat, which means I don’t need you around to keep them in line.” Asmodeus raises an angel blade, but luckily for Cas, he’s distracted by the noise of Lucifer’s escape. Castiel lunges, twisting the blade out of Asmodeus’s hand, but he’s unable to avoid the punch to his gut. A hand grips his throat and he feels a tingle of what can only be described as grace flowing from the demon’s hands into his throat, which doesn’t make any sense. Asmodeus spies Lucifer near the line of trees, and drops Castiel in favor of following the archangel. 

 

Cas pushes himself to his feet, stumbling into the woods in the opposite direction of Lucifer and Asmodeus. He can still feel the foreign grace spreading through his system like a virus, and in a futile attempt to rid his body of it, his grace tries to fight back. He’s coughing up blood and the logical part of his brain reminds him that he’s leaving a trail for Asmodeus to inevitably follow, so he shoves himself off the tree and stumbles away in a different direction than the one he was headed. 

 

He’s not sure how long he walks for, but the last thing he remembers is his relief in finding a clearing in the woods. He startles awake to the sight of two extremely frightened children above him, along with the blinding light of morning. The boys startle and run away quickly, presumably in fear. Castiel raises his hands into view, relieved when he doesn’t feel the tingle of foreign grace in his system. He climbs to his feet, looking around in an attempt to figure out the way back to Needham. Lucifer had escaped Asmodeus and his demons, even in his weakened state. Of that, Castiel was sure. 

 

Eventually, he finds his way back. There’s no sign of any of them, minus the pool of blood from when he’d stabbed the archangel the previous day. He searches the surrounding woods and does a cursory search of the abandoned asylum, but turns up nothing. He gives up, heading to the nearest town and hotwiring a car, silently thanking his father that Dean had the foresight to teach him how to. 

 

It takes him a full twenty-four hours to get back to the bunker. His grace has replenished enough that he doesn’t need to sleep, so he drives straight through Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, and New Jersey before he has to stop for gas. Asmodeus had left his store of cash when he’d captured the two of them, luckily for Cas. He stops again for gas in Illinois before getting to the bunker around noon the following day. He’s still got his key to the bunker hidden in his shoe, so he leaves his car parked on the nearby dirt road and walks the rest of the way. He pulls the door open easily and steps inside to two guns aimed at him. He can’t control the look of utter exasperation that crosses his face, and he’s not entirely sure that he wants to in the first place. He slams the door closed, tucking the key in his pocket as he descends. 

 

“Cas? What the hell, man? You couldn’t mention you were coming before you showed up?” 

 

“I didn’t have a phone on me so no, I couldn’t exactly call.” Dean and Sam glance at each other and share a look Cas can’t identify before they both turn back to look at him.

 

“Cas, I just talked to you two hours ago. You said you were chasing down another lead and you’d call us if it turned anything up.” Cas rolls his eyes, sighing heavily.

 

“No. That was Asmodeus. He kidnapped me several weeks ago, he’s had my phone ever since.” He pushes his way past the brothers, dropping into one of the chairs in the library and pulling the nearest laptop closer, tapping away at the keys in an effort to find Lucifer. The brothers follow him and Dean pulls the laptop from his reach, eliciting a seething glare from the angel. 

 

“Let me get this straight: you were kidnapped,  _ weeks ago _ , locked up. You’re telling me that was Asmodeus the whole time?”

 

“Correct.” 

 

“What did he want with you?” Sam asks as Dean shakes his head in the background.

 

“He mostly wanted Lucifer. I was unfortunately in proximity when they decided to take him.” When he flicks his eyes back up to the Winchesters, there’s a look of sheer terror on Sam’s face, and Castiel can feel his own heart breaking.

 

“Lucifer? No no, he-”

 

“No no no, we slammed his ass back in the apocalypse world. How did-”

 

“Kevin Tran.” Cas sighs, turning his eyes to Dean.

 

“ _ Kevin Tran? _ ” 

 

“The apocalypse world version, yes. He opened a rift using part of Lucifer’s grace. Apparently they also have tablets in that world. Michael, the apocalypse world Michael, wants to use the spell to invade and conquer our world.” The Winchesters stare at him with looks of utter disbelief and, honestly, if he hadn’t lived through it for the past few weeks, he probably wouldn’t believe it either. “I went to see if the angels had Jack and Lucifer showed up. I was… regrettably unable to get rid of him.” 

 

“Cas, it’s  _ Lucifer _ .” Castiel sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose. 

 

“I know. And I’m not asking you to trust him. I’m asking you to trust  _ me _ . If he’s back, then it means there’s ways of opening rifts, and it means that Michael has a way to reach our world. Lucifer was scared, terrified even. I believe it’s a credible threat.” Dean and Sam glance at each other, and both are nodding their agreement a few seconds later. 

 

“Alright. So what do we do, then?” Sam asks, pushing the laptop back to Castiel.

 

“We find Lucifer. I’m sure he escaped Asmodeus, so we need to figure out where he went.”

 

**·     ·     ·**     ✤    **·     ·     ·**

 

He’s not sure what state he’s in. He’s weak, but his wings are still functional, and his only thought had been to get as far from Asmodeus as possible before figuring out a new plan. As weak as he is, it’s still easy to find the cupid. It’s disgusting, really, like watching one of those horrible human rom-coms. He makes quick work of stealing the cupid’s grace and killing him, some of the tension relieved with the addition of the grace. He’s too weak to fly again, so he finds himself wandering the town in search of more angels. It’s clear within a few days that the cupid wasn’t lying. Where there’d normally be several cupids and a few other angels watching over the humans, there were only empty posts. Humans are everywhere, but there are no signs of any angels. That is, until he stumbles on a homeless man who shows him a video of an alleged faith healer. He knows as soon as he sees her working that she’s an angel. He gets the meeting spot from the man before leaving him behind in favor of finding this “Sister Jo”. 

 

He finds her in a hall surrounded by dozens of people. She heals them, one by one, though not before they hand her their money. He waits until the crowds leave and they’re alone before stepping forward. His footsteps echo through the huge room, but the woman barely even glances at him before turning back to count her money.

 

“We’re closed. Come back tomorrow.” He smirks, walking closer, like a lion stalking its prey.

 

“Oh, but I need healin’, Sister Jo.” He smirks, crossing his arms over his chest. “Or should I say… Anael? You’re an angel.” Her hands pause, setting the money back in the metal box before turning to glance at him.   
  


“Back atcha, Lucifer.” She turns back to her money again, continuing to count. A strange feeling of disappointment settles over him. He’d been expecting her to at least cower, not seem utterly oblivious to his existence.

 

“What, no “Eek!”? No… “Spare me, Dark Master!”? No quaking fear?” 

 

“Should I quake?” She quips, glancing at him again.

 

“I mean, yeah, most people sort of do, yeah.”

 

“I’m not most.” She turns to face him fully, leaning back against the stage and fixing him with a confidant stare. 

 

“Right. You’re special. Because you heal people for  _ money _ . Not very Heavenly, I have to say.” She rolls her eyes at the dig, shrugging.

 

“We’re not in Heaven, we’re on Earth. You may have noticed, around here, good life ain’t cheap.” She closes the lid to the metal box, setting it on the table between them. “After the Fall, all the angels were a mess. Desperate for housing. Any vessel would do. And they had no longing. I, on the other hand, took some care. I listened. A woman was praying for her dying husband. So we made a trade- his life for her vessel. She was grateful. I realized humans are so  _ desperate _ for life, they’d do almost anything,  _ pay _ almost anything. So… ca-ching! I was a mediocre angel but, turns out, I am an  _ excellent _ business woman.” 

 

“Wow. That is very impressive.” He drops his blade from his sleeve, stepping closer. “As you can see, my high-octane grace is a little bit low. So I came for a recharge which, unfortunately, doesn’t end well for you.” He slams her against the stage, his blade hovering near her throat.

 

“Not very cost efficient. Running around, killing angels.” To her credit, there isn’t a hint of fear on her face.

 

“What?”

 

“Wouldn’t it make more sense to keep one premium angel on tap? Take a sip now… sip later. Not taking  _ all _ the grace, but giving the angel time to recharge. Then? Rinse and repeat.”

 

“And that angel being…” A smile spreads across her face, and Lucifer finds himself raising his eyebrows in surprise. “You’d do that?”

 

“It’s better than having you suck me dry and kill me, isn’t it? This way, I help you, you help  _ me _ . Still a businesswoman.” He nods, so she leads him to the back of the hall, slicing her own throat and offering it to him. She heals herself when he finishes, a smirk playing on her lips. “Better?” 

 

“ _ So _ much better. That was  _ so _ much more fun than my last time. I had to kill that guy.” Her smirk drops instantly, and she stands up straighter. 

 

“When was that?”

 

“Two nights ago?”

 

“That was  _ you _ ? That was all over angel radio.” He shrugs, sliding a hand in his pocket.

 

“Yeah. Star power, can’t fight it.”

 

“Did anyone know you were coming here?” He glances at her, shrugging. 

 

“Just the homeless guy who pointed me here.” 

 

Their getaway is fast. Anael is concerned angels will come looking for whoever killed the cupid, and she isn’t wrong. She packs a few things and tosses her bag into her car, dumping her money into the bag and getting on the highway. They end up at a motel a few hours away, and Lucifer spends the time feeding on her grace.

 

**·     ·     ·**      ✤    **·     ·     ·**

 

Sam leaves shortly after Cas’s return to pick up Donatello. Dean trudges to the storage room where they hid the demon tablet, unlocking the warded box and picking the tablet up gently, carrying it back to the war room. 

 

“It’s a long shot at best.” Castiel says softly, leaning against the table. Dean sighs in response, setting the tablet down. 

 

“Yeah, well, most of what we do are long shots. You get used to it.” It’s silent for a moment, then Dean taps his fingers on the table before sighing softly. “Cas, I’m sorry. All that time you were with Asmodeus, I-I… I should’ve known it wasn’t you.” He can see the regret in Dean’s eyes, and as angry as he is, he can’t exactly blame him for not realizing. 

 

“Well, he’s a shapeshifter.” He nods to himself, shrugging. “Besides, I-I was the one who got myself captured.”  

 

“Yeah, but if I knew, you know, I would’ve…”

 

“Yeah, I know. I know. You would’ve… tried another long shot. I’m fine, Dean.” Dean’s eyes rise to meet his, and he finds himself squirming under the gaze.

 

“You sure about that?” He nods, a small smile tilting the corners of his lips.

 

“Right now, all that matters is getting Jack and your mother out of that place. Okay? I promised Kelly that I would protect her son, I intend to keep that promise.” Dean sighs and scrubs a hand over his face.

 

“That’s what worries me, Cas. I know how you get when you’re committed to something. I just… I don’t want you sacrificing yourself for this.” The bunker door clanging open interrupts them, and Dean shoots the angel a look to signal that this conversation is not, under any circumstances, over. Donatello drops his bag on the war room table and they settle in to discuss their plan. “Alright, so we grab Lucifer, use his grace to open the door, grab Mom and Jack, and get the hell out of there. We’ll need to be ready for whatever follows us out, too.” Sam and Cas nod in agreement, and Donatello looks confused, but he agrees to decipher the tablet for them. 

 

Dean and Sam are discussing their next steps when it hits him: the sharp ringing that signifies someone trying to communicate over angel radio. He closes his eyes and focuses on what his brothers and sisters are saying. It’s a jumbled mess of panicked words and orders being shouted, but he gets the gist of it. His eyes snap open and he turns to look at the Winchesters.

 

“A vessel was found mutilated last night.” Both brothers nod, and they’re leaving the bunker within the hour. Donatello stays behind with the tablet and a promise to decipher it as soon as he can.

 

They reach Missouri in a little under six hours. They don’t even bother going to a motel, they change in a rest stop bathroom and head straight to the scene. Sam hacks into the police files on the drive over, and by the time they get there there’s a single police officer standing guard over the scene. It’s not difficult to get past him, and all three of them catch sight of the pool of blood near the fence. Sam flips through the scene pictures, sighing.

 

“Okay, so, according to the report, the vic died from trauma… uh, something blunt driven through his body. There was also a slit in his neck, which means-”

 

“Lucifer fed on this angel’s grace. Which means he’s trying to restore his power. And if he does…” 

 

“We’re fucked.” Dean says, clenching his jaw. Cas turns to look at him.

 

“Epically.” 

 

“Alright, so what’s our next move?”Cas says as he turns back to Sam. Sam taps the tablet gently, clearing his throat. 

 

“I’ll set up a couple alerts, see if anything pops up. We should try to figure out why he came here, though, out of all the places he could’ve gone.” Dean and Cas nod in agreement and excuse themselves to go question people in the area. Sam takes a few minutes to set up various alerts on his tablet before following his brother and the angel, pulling up a picture of Lucifer’s vessel on his phone. Sam spots a panhandler sitting on a planter and finds himself heading toward him. “Excuse me, sir? Do you mind if I ask you a couple questions?” The man looks at him suspiciously, glancing between Sam and his box of cash.

 

“Yeah, no, I’m kinda workin’ here, man.” 

 

“I’ll make it worth your while.” He takes out a twenty, brandishing it in front of the man and smiling gently when he nods. “Have you seen this guy around anywhere? He’s a person of interest in a case.” He shows the man the picture of Lucifer’s vessel and watches the look of recognition pass over his face.

 

“Actually, yeah, we had a nice chat. He was curious about this faith healer I’m saving up to see, Sister Jo? She’s gonna fix my leg right up so I can get on with my life.” Sam raises his eyebrows, shifting his weight to his other foot.

 

“Right, and did he… believe in her?”

 

“Nah, not at first. Not until I showed him a video of her. After that he was  _ very _ interested. I think he even went to her session that night.” Sam tucks his phone away in his pocket, handing the man the money.

 

“And where is that, exactly?”

 

“Elgin Hall, about two miles east. Can’t miss it.” Sam nods his thanks, heading over to Dean and Cas and pulling them away from the person they’re interviewing.

 

“Dude, what the hell?” Dean flashes the woman an apologetic smile, turning to Sam.

 

“I found him. He’s two miles east with a faith healer named Sister Jo.” Castiel cocks an eyebrow, tilting his head.

 

“Lucifer’s seeing a faith healer? They’re all frauds, he should know that.” Sam shakes his head.

 

“A guy showed him a video of her and suddenly he believed in her. Whatever he saw must have proved her worth to him.” Dean nods in agreement, leading the way to the car. They take time to gear up before getting in and driving to the hall. It’s easy to find, and they park a few feet away so they can sneak in. Cas is first through the door with Sam and Dean close behind, and when he kicks the inner door open, they’re standing face to face with Ketch, who has the audacity to chuckle at them.

 

“Ah, it’s only you.” He sighs, and the look on his face gives Dean the overwhelming urge to punch him. 

 

“What the hell are you doing here?” 

 

“Now, Dean, that’s not very nice. Besides, we’ve been over this.” Dean rolls his eyes.

 

“I didn’t mean why are you alive, jackass. I mean what are you doing  _ here _ , in Missouri?” 

 

“I’m not sure I should give you that information… last time I tried to help you, you shot me.”

 

“And I intend to do it again. Third time’s the charm.” Dean smirks, reaching for his gun. Cas’s hand on his forearm stops him. 

 

“Dean asked you a question. Why are you here?” Castiel says, his voice remarkably level given the depths of anger Dean can see in his eyes. Ketch watches their exchange with a curiosity that makes Dean’s skin crawl, but then he’s putting his gun away and smirking at them.

 

“My sources tell me Lucifer’s back. He’s weak, and he’s, or was, in this… wonderful little slice of Americana.” His voice is dripping with sarcasm. “I was going to try and kill him, as were you, I assume?”  Sam nods, humming.

 

“Right. And who’re you working for?” Ketch looks offended, much to their amusement. 

 

“Isn’t it possible that I’m simply trying to strike a blow for the good of humanity?” Dean rolls his eyes.

 

“You? Helping humanity? I don’t think so. You wanting to take out Lucifer because you’re a murderous idiot would be more likely, but I don’t think that’s it either. Tell us who you’re working for.” Castiel says, a smirk tilting the corner of his lips. Ketch turns to look at him and Dean can practically  _ see _ the gears turning in the psychopath’s head, and the lecherous look he’s giving Cas makes him want to shoot the stupid Brit in the eyeball. Castiel bristles under the stare, though, and shuffles closer to Dean.

 

“Truth be told, taking out Lucifer would be an  _ enormous _ feather in the cap. My business model is very, um… word of mouth.” The three of them roll their eyes simultaneously, and Sam’s the only one who can actually find words.

 

“Right, so if Lucifer isn’t here, then where’d he go?”

 

“Ah, excellent question! I propose we team up. Cover more ground. Four heads  _ are _ better than three.” Sam and Cas both glance at Dean, who nods his head slightly in Cas’s direction. The angel smirks and flips his blade around, pressing two fingers to Ketch’s forehead and knocking the assassin out cold. Sam and Dean load him into the Impala’s trunk while Cas searches the hall quickly to ensure Ketch didn’t miss anything. He feels a surge of power near the back of the hall that feels like angel grace, but much more powerful than what Lucifer had left, and more powerful than he’d be with the cupid’s grace. He puts off finding an explanation for the moment, returning to the Winchesters outside. Dean glances at him, slamming the trunk shut.

 

“I say we take dick bag here back to the bunker, find out what he  _ really _ knows, and put a bullet in him. Burn his bones and flush his ashes, make sure he doesn’t come back this time.” Castiel nods, stowing his angel blade.

 

“I like that plan.” Sam shakes his head, turning his tablet so Dean and Cas can see.

 

“You guys need to look at this. It was just uploaded a few minutes ago.” He presses play on the video, and Castiel’s face lights up in recognition.

 

“That’s the faith healer? Sister Jo?” Castiel shakes his head, grabbing the tablet.

 

“No, no. She’s an angel. Anael. She must’ve hidden on Earth after the fall. That would explain the power I felt in the hall.” Dean glances at him, but Castiel doesn’t elaborate. Sam takes the tablet back, sighing.

 

“Right, so let’s say Lucifer drained her and killed her. What’d he do with the body?” None of them have an answer, so they pile into the Impala with an agreement to head back to the bunker and pick up Lucifer’s trail when he shows up again.

 

They’re only on the road for ten minutes before Sam’s phone chimes. He pulls it out, raising his eyebrows in surprise. 

 

“I set an alert up on my phone. Sister Jo just used her credit card to rent a motel room.” He gives Dean the address, putting his phone away. “So what’s our plan?”

 

“If she’s still alive, we might be able to save her. Lucifer may still be weak enough to kill.” Castiel says, and when Dean looks at him in the rearview mirror he’s got a look of cautious hope on his face. Both Winchesters nod, and they’re pulling into the motel parking lot a few hours later. They shuffle Ketch’s still unconscious body around while they gear up, heading around the motel to the front office. They flash their badges to the manager and get Jo’s room number. They sneak around the edge of the building before Sam calls and asks her to bring her card down to the main office. 

 

“Good news, she’s alive.” Sam says as he hangs up, and that’s all the information Cas needs before he’s turning the corner and coming face to face with his sister. He’s lost too many already. This one… this one he can save.

 

“Anael.” The angel looks up at him, surprised to see him. 

 

“Castiel? What are you doing here?” Dean hovers over his right shoulder, his arm brushing against Cas’s ever so gently, a source of comfort for the angel.

 

“We were gonna ask you the same thing.” 

 

“We’re looking for Lucifer.” Sam says gently, keeping his voice low. “Have you seen him? Do you know where he is?” She looks between them with a look of pure terror on her face, nodding and glancing back toward the room she just exited. 

 

“Yes. He’s in there.”

 

“Has he hurt you?” Cas asks, looking her over for any obvious signs of injury. The angel shakes her head.

 

“Not yet. He’s threatened. He wants to drain my grace.” 

 

“So he’s still weak.” Sam says, though he can’t hide the hopefulness of his voice. 

  
“Very. You have to help me.” She says, turning her gaze back to Castiel, who nods but squints at her.

 

“We will. But first, you’re gonna help us.” She nods at Dean, absorbing their plan before leading them back to the room. 

 

**·     ·     ·**      ✤    **·     ·     ·**

 

She knocks on the door three times, letting the corners of her mouth tilt up in a smirk as she speaks. She’ll warn him. There’s no way he’ll believe she’d actually refer to him as “lord”. 

 

“Lord Lucifer? Could you let me in? Sorry, I forgot my key.” Lucifer sets the Bible aside, raising his eyebrows and mumbling to himself as he stands.

 

“”Lord Lucifer”? Hmm. I likey.” Apparently, she stands corrected. He pulls the door open with a smile that quickly falls when he sees who’s really at the door. 

 

“Mornin’, sunshine.” Dean Winchester says, smirking as he steps into the room. 

 

“What’s up? Gents. Hey.” He chuckles, backing up into the room slowly. Dean and Sam step into the room, but Castiel’s nowhere in sight. Odd. He’d always thought of the seraph as the Winchester’s lap dog. “Uh…” He turns in an attempt to escape out the back window and figures out where Castiel was. “Oh. Cas! You’re alive. That’s… that’s awesome. I’m glad.”

 

“They made me.” Anael chimes in, still doing her damndest to warn him. “They forced me to tell them how  _ weak _ you still are.” Lucifer nods slowly, glancing between the three men.

 

“Well, great seeing you. Been a long time. Nice jacket there, Dean. Sam, your hair, it’s magnificent. It’s a leave-in conditioner, right?” Sam’s eyes flash full of terror and he’s still pleased by the reaction he can elicit in the younger Winchester. Sam tells Anael to go, but loyal that she is, she stays near the door. “So.. what? You gonna kill me?” Dean smirks, dropping his hand into his pocket and producing angel-warded handcuffs.

 

“Mm. Eventually.” Dean steps forward, so Anael takes her opportunity and flings Sam against the wall. Lucifer turns quickly, doing the same to Castiel and Dean. 

 

“We need to go.” Anael tugs on his sleeve, headed for the door. 

 

“Just a minute. I want to enjoy this.” He balls his hands into fists, smirking when the three of them gasp for breath. Castiel’s more human than ever, it seems. He turns when he hears footsteps, grabbing Anael’s arm and flying them both away. The unnecessary use of grace leaves him winded, doubling over in the woods where they landed. “Ugh. I have  _ got _ to get in better shape. This is ridiculous.” He glances at Anael, who’s simply watching him. “Alright, so why did you, y’know…” She smirks.

 

“Like I said: I help you, you help me.” 

 

“Right. Cool. So… where to now?” She glances at him, a look of mischief in her eyes that could rival his own. 

 

“Why don’t we go take back your rightful place in Heaven?” Lucifer isn’t one for leading, but having the angels behind him  _ would _ help when Michael inevitably crosses into this world. He nods after thinking it over, turning to face her. 

 

“Alright. How do we go about doing that?” She tells him where the entrance to Heaven is, so he grips her upper arm and flies them there. It only takes a moment before he’s facing down four angels.

 

“I know we’ve had our problems in the past… little family squabbles. Y’know, just… minor disagreements. Kids being kids kinda stuff. But, right now? You need me.” Dumah barely sends him a second glance before turning to her second.

 

“Kill him.” The three angels behind her advance on him and he takes a quick step back, raising his hands in a placating gesture. 

 

“Whoa, hold on, hold on. It’s true, I  _ am _ powered down. But you can’t kill me.” Dumah’s mouth tilts up in the semblance of a smile.

 

“We could try. Repeatedly.” 

 

“Look, okay, number two, I know Heaven is in short supply of angels. After Dad left, your  _ only _ defence was in numbers, right? With a Prince of Hell running Hell, if they make a move, you’re screwed. You need more… you. But, y’know, with Dad gone, who’s still up for angel-makin’?” All four angels in front of him give him blank stares, so he points to himself.

 

“You can’t.” Dumah says, her hand still firmly wrapped around her angel blade which, yeah, okay, that’s only fair. 

 

“He can, Dumah.” Anael pipes up from beside him. Dumah turns her gaze to Anael, full of nothing but contempt.

 

“Who are you to speak to me?” Lucifer glances between the two angels, raising a hand toward Dumah. 

 

“She’s with me. And you’re going to listen to her. Look, I was here when you, when  _ all _ of you were born. I saw how Dad did it. I can make angels, okay? And I’ll do it…  _ if _ -”

 

“Enough games, Lucifer.”

 

“ _ If,  _ for my incredible act of generosity, you name me the undisputed and unquestioned ruler of Heaven.” Dumah starts to laugh, and Anael glances at him, almost to ask if she should just kill them already. He waves her off, crossing his arms over his chest. “How’d you like your wings back?” That stops her mid-laugh, and all four angels are staring at him, trying to determine if he’s telling the truth. It only takes them a moment of consideration before they’re parting to let him through the portal with Anael. 

 

**·     ·     ·**      ✤    **·     ·     ·**

 

Of course it’s fucking Ketch who comes to their rescue. The flash from the demon bomb dies down and he can see Cas shooting Ketch a glare that he’s sure could kill the Brit if Cas tried hard enough.

 

“What the  _ hell _ was that?” Cas growls, shoving himself to his feet. “What in your  _ stupid _ brain thought it would make sense to waste a  _ demon bomb _ on an  _ angel _ ?!” Dean scurries to his feet, grabbing Cas’s arm to keep him from actually murdering Ketch. The Brit backs away, and Dean can see the fear in his eyes. He helps Sam to his feet, letting go of Cas when he’s sure he’s calmed down. 

 

“Congratulations, you just helped Lucifer escape.”

 

“Put another way, I opted out of my  _ own _ escape and put myself in harm’s way to save your lives. Again.” Dean rolls his eyes, grabbing his bag off the floor.

 

“You really think we came in here without a plan? We knew what we were doing, we’re not some helpless princesses trapped in a tower that you need to save.” Ketch scoffs, glancing between the three of them.

 

“It didn’t look like you had a plan.” Sam rolls his eyes, grabbing the handcuffs from Dean and shoving Ketch against the wall, cuffing him easily.

 

“We needed Lucifer to use up enough of his grace on us so Cas could kill him. Anael wouldn’t have been fast enough to interrupt, and once Lucifer was gone, she wouldn’t have been a problem.” Sam nods at Cas, shoving the Brit in his direction. Cas taps his forehead again, heaving a sigh. Together, he and Dean load Ketch into the trunk. “Who do you think he’s working for?” Sam asks, closing the trunk once they’re done.

 

“My bet’s on Asmodeus. I’m sure he’s pretty keen on getting rid of Lucifer too. Regardless, we should still do the spell. Do you have the stuff for it?” Sam nods, motioning to the trunk.

 

“All in there. Let’s get somewhere more deserted.” Dean and Cas both nod in agreement, and all three of them pile into the car. They drive for two hours before they find a suitable place. Sam grabs the ingredients for the spell while Dean and Cas haul Ketch onto the ground in the woods. The spell is simple, one Sam had picked up from Rowena. It would let them see and hear everything Ketch did, but was undetectable, even to angels and demons. 

 

With the spell done, they toss the leftover supplies into the trunk and leave Ketch where he is, heading back to the bunker.

 

Donatello is at the war table where they left him, with an entire bucket of chicken bones on the table in front of him. Dean drops his bag on the table, chuckling.

 

“How’s it going?” Donatello nods slowly, though his eyes look wild when he looks up at Dean. 

 

“It’s… going. You need to lock me up.” Dean’s eyebrows shoot up in surprise, and he looks over at Sam and Cas, who look just as baffled as he is.

 

“I’m sorry, what?”

 

“Asmodeus found me. He did some strange mind control thing on me and told me to report everything back to him.”

 

“How are you telling us this?” Donatello shakes his head, his eyebrows furrowed. 

 

“He’s not a very competent villain. He just let me go, he didn’t even tell me not to tell anyone about the mind control.” Dean glances over at Sam and Cas, who both nod and head to the dungeon.

 

“Right, okay, well we’ll… we’ll set you up in one of the rooms, alright? Ward the whole thing so no one can get in.” Donatello nods, turning his eyes back to the demon tablet. 

 

Once Donatello is settled into his room, the three of them pile around the table where Sam has the other half of the spell set up. A few mumbled Latin words and they’re seeing that Ketch is. 

 

**·     ·     ·**      ✤    **·     ·     ·**

 

He startles awake in the woods somewhere, no sign of anyone nearby. He pushes himself to his feet, dusting his suit off and sighing. 

 

“Asmodeus, I have news.” The words are barely out of his mouth before a demon appears at his side, whisking him back to Needham. “I missed him by seconds. Rest assured, Lucifer will be found.”

 

“And killed before he causes any more problems.” Asmodeus hands him a glass of whiskey, taking a sip from his own. “Or before those idiot Winchesters use him to open up a gate to Michael land. Another stick up his ass archangel’s the last thing I need.”

 

“Yes, well, Lucifer is getting stronger, and as good as I am, and I am  _ very _ good, I don’t think even I can beat the Devil at full power.” Ketch takes a sip of his whiskey, watching a smirk spread across Asmodeus’s face.

 

“About that. You recall the important errand I had mentioned?” He sets his glass on top of a cabinet, pulling the door open and pulling out an ornately carved box. “Word had got back to me that a certain artifact I thought had been lost forever resurfaced. And now it’s mine.” He turns back to Ketch, lifting the lid off the box and holding the weapon out to him. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” Ketch nods slowly, his eyes flicking back up to Asmodeus’s face.

 

“Oh, yes.” 

 

“The only known weapon capable of destroying an archangel...” He lifts it from its box, swinging it around like it’s a toy. “The archangel blade.” He sets it back in the box, putting the lid back on and placing the box back in the cabinet.

 

“You’ll forgive me, but my reading of the lore suggests that the blade is only effective if wielded by an archangel.” This demon can’t seriously be considering trying to get either Michael or Lucifer on his side in order to kill the other, can he? There’s no way that turns out well, in either circumstance. 

 

“Oh, really? Thanks for the news flash.” He inclines his head to signal that Ketch follow him, so he does. They pass the cells Castiel and Lucifer were held in and stop three cells down in front of a heavily reinforced metal door with sigils painted over the entirety and a sliding metal plate that covers the small opening. Asmodeus walks straight up to it, sliding the plate aside so they can see inside the cell. “Allow me to make an introduction. Mr. Ketch, meet the archangel Gabriel.” 

 

**·     ·     ·**      ✤    **·     ·     ·**

 

**Muncie, Indiana**

**The Elysian Fields Hotel, 2010**

 

Luckily, Lucifer leaves his body there. The Winchesters and Kali are already long gone, and Gabriel’s the only living being left in the entire hotel. He stays where he is for an hour or so to ensure Lucifer is  _ really _ gone before letting the illusion fade. He picks up the angel blade, shaking his head in disbelief. It shouldn’t surprise him that it worked, though, Lucifer had already been locked up when Michael decided to… remodel their archangel blades. He’d been against it, but Raphael was a pushover and with the entirety of Heaven behind Michael, he hadn’t had a chance to say no. So now, instead of having a way to kill Lucifer for good, he’s stuck with this  _ useless _ angel blade which, on the bright side can’t kill him, but it also can’t kill Lucifer. He shakes his head in frustration, sighing and stowing the angel blade as he sneaks out the back of the hotel. 

 

He doesn’t even have time to blink before a collar is fastened around his throat and he’s suddenly powerless. He grabs at the collar, wincing at the sigils burning his fingers.

 

“Well well, word sure does travel fast, don’t it?” A demon steps in front of him, one that looks  _ remarkably _ like Colonel Sanders, and he starts to make a quip about it before the demon interrupts. “The archangel Gabriel. How nice to finally meet you. Everyone thinks you’re dead.” Gabriel narrows his eyes, his mind turning, trying to figure a way out of this collar.

 

“I’d love to keep it that way, head right back to witness protection. What can I do for you?” The demon smirks at him and it makes his skin crawl.

 

“You see, I’m a collector. Artifacts, mostly, but you? You’d be a true prize for my collection.” Gabriel snorts, rolling his eyes.

 

“I ain’t sittin in a dusty room with a bunch of old human shit, demon. Nice try, though.” The demons smirks again, and Gabriel’s starting to panic. There’s nowhere in sight that he can get to before the demon could reach him, and he can’t get this collar off on his own. The demon smirks, almost as if he’d read Gabriel’s mind, and in the blink of an eye they’re in a completely warded storage facility, warded against everything but angels. Not that it would matter, because with this stupid collar on, he’s unable to tap into his grace.

 

“Now. Let’s talk about what’s next.” 

 

**·     ·     ·**      ✤    **·     ·     ·**

 

**Fall River, Massachusetts**

**Needham Asylum, 2017**

 

“What are you gonna do, keep us there? Until when? I know for a fact I didn’t make you powerful enough to keep an archangel under lock and key.” That’s his brother’s voice. He’d know it anywhere. It’s been seven years since he heard is last, though.

 

“Sam and Dean will come looking for me.” And Castiel, too? Apparently, this is his lucky day. Biding his time for the last seven years has served him well. 

 

“Oh, I wouldn’t count on it. They won’t even know you’re gone.” That stupid southern drawl. If only he could reach Asmodeus’s stupid face to punch it. His mouth is sewn shut and he has no way to tap into his grace, but two of his brothers are sitting a few cells down, and he’s desperate enough to ask even  _ Lucifer _ for help. 

 

His chance never comes, though. Castiel and Lucifer escape before he manages to get them to notice him, and the noise coming from his cell only results in more torture practice for the demon that took over for Alastair. It doesn’t bother him anymore. He knows he’ll get out of here, that it’s only a matter of time. 

 

His chance comes a week after Lucifer and Cas escaped. He’s just finishes his latest torture session, but this time, he’d been able to nudge the demon’s blade to his neck. He’s terrible at torture but he’s got a rule-breaking streak that, for once, works in Gabriel’s advantage. He nicks the collar, just enough that Gabriel will be able to break it later, but not enough that he notices when he searches. He’s shoved back into his cell, still bloody and bruised, but in much higher spirits than he’s been in the last seven years. Asmodeus comes to his cell a day later and introduces him to some guy named Ketch, and Gabriel’s opportunity presents itself. If his lips weren’t sewn shut, he’d smirk. When Ketch turns to Asmodeus, he takes his opportunity and rips the collar off, setting it on the bench next to him. He breaks Asmodeus’s spell easily, slamming Ketch forward into the cell door hard enough that his blood breaks the sigils on the door. He snaps his fingers, healing himself and getting rid of the thread through his lips, flexing his jaw and smirking at Asmodeus. 

 

“Well, it’s been a nice stay, but I’ve got seven years of snark to catch up on and, considering Lucifer is still running around, probably another apocalypse to mop up.” He flies to the woods near the Winchester’s old base in Sioux Falls, only to see that it’s burned down. He sighs to himself, closing his eyes and focusing, trying to find Castiel. He manages to get a signal, but it’s scrambled and he can’t figure out where  _ exactly _ he is. Fate must be on his side, though, because Castiel moves until he can get a lock on his location. He flies there and honestly can’t say he’s ever been happier to see one of his brothers.

 

“Gabriel? You were… Lucifer killed you.” He shakes his head, glancing at the Winchesters approaching behind Castiel. 

 

“After Lucifer was cast out, Michael confiscated our archangel blades and melted them down into a single archangel blade that he could wield during the apocalypse.” Dean sputters behind Castiel, his eyes wide.

 

“You just  _ let _ him melt down your archangel blade?” Gabriel glares at him, an overwhelming urge to take the elder Winchester’s voice away overtaking him. Castiel steps between them, though, so he tamps down on his anger.

 

“Didn’t really have much of a choice, genius. Even as an archangel, me against the entirety of Heaven? Couldn’t have won even if I tried.” 

 

“Asmodeus has the archangel blade.” Sam pipes up, staying far enough away that he can be heard but not injured. Smart boy.

 

“I know. Any bright ideas how to get it?” Castiel glances at Dean, sighing softly.

 

“I have an idea. Asmodeus often took my form when he called you, so if I’m able to act enough like him, I should be able to fool the demons. We’d have to wait until Asmodeus goes looking for Gabriel.” Gabriel nods, glancing between the three of them.

 

“I can keep an eye on him.” Castiel shakes his head.

 

“Not necessary. We put a spell on Ketch, we can see and hear everything he does. Now we just wait.” Gabriel raises his eyebrows.

 

“You boys thought of that all on your own? I’m impressed.” Dean rolls his eyes, turning on his heel and walking toward the hulking structure in the distance, Sam following close behind and Castiel turning to do the same. He follows behind, exhausted and relieved to finally be free.

**Author's Note:**

> You can find me on Tumblr [here(:](https://fangirlingtodeath513.tumblr.com/)
> 
> PLEASE DO NOT POST MY WORKS ANYWHERE BUT HERE OR TUMBLR WITHOUT MY EXPRESS PERMISSION.


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